Genesis 46:28-34
New English Translation
28 Jacob[a] sent Judah before him to Joseph to accompany him to Goshen.[b] So they came to the land of Goshen. 29 Joseph harnessed his chariot and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen. When he met him,[c] he hugged his neck and wept on his neck for quite some time.
30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.”[d] 31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh,[e] ‘My brothers and my father’s household who were in the land of Canaan have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds;[f] they take care of livestock.[g] They have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ 33 Pharaoh will summon you and say, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 Tell him, ‘Your servants have taken care of cattle[h] from our youth until now, both we and our fathers,’ so that you may live in the land of Goshen,[i] for everyone who takes care of sheep is disgusting[j] to the Egyptians.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 46:28 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 46:28 tn Heb “to direct before him to Goshen.”
- Genesis 46:29 tn Heb “and he appeared to him.”
- Genesis 46:30 tn Heb “after my seeing your face that you are still alive.”
- Genesis 46:31 tn Heb “tell Pharaoh and say to him.”
- Genesis 46:32 tn Heb “feeders of sheep.”
- Genesis 46:32 tn Heb “for men of livestock they are.”
- Genesis 46:34 tn Heb “your servants are men of cattle.”
- Genesis 46:34 sn So that you may live in the land of Goshen. Joseph is apparently trying to stress to Pharaoh that his family is self-sufficient, that they will not be a drain on the economy of Egypt. But they will need land for their animals and so Goshen, located on the edge of Egypt, would be a suitable place for them to live. The settled Egyptians were uneasy with nomadic people, but if Jacob and his family settled in Goshen they would represent no threat.
- Genesis 46:34 tn Heb “is an abomination.” The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (toʿevah, “abomination”) describes something that is loathsome or off-limits. For other practices the Egyptians considered disgusting, see Gen 43:32 and Exod 8:22.
Genesis 46:28-34
Christian Standard Bible
Jacob Arrives in Egypt
28 Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to prepare for his arrival[a] at Goshen.(A) When they came to the land of Goshen, 29 Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, threw his arms around him, and wept for a long time.(B)
30 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I’m ready to die now because I have seen your face and you are still alive!”
31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s family, “I will go up and inform Pharaoh, telling him, ‘My brothers and my father’s family, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.(C) 32 The men are shepherds; they also raise livestock. They have brought their flocks and herds and all that they have.’ 33 When Pharaoh addresses you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you are to say, ‘Your servants, both we and our ancestors, have raised livestock[b] from our youth until now.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are detestable to Egyptians.”(D)
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